Tag: utility

Twelve Months On


…. and still they, Scottish Power, have done nothing !!!

Even worse, Scottish Power now seem to be pointing the finger of blame at the UK government. As if they are responsible for my non functional smart meter.

I’m pretty sure that Scottish Power advertised, supplied, and installed the device

Some of you may have read my previous post from 2023. If you need a refresher, I have provided the link below.

https://siskinbob.wordpress.com/2023/01/01/scottish-power-not-so-smartmeter/?preview=true

So, I had a functional smart meter until December 2021. Prior to that time, all was hunky dory, and it was wirelessly providing readings to Scottish Power until it wasn’t.

Despite what they say in their latest email, Scottish Power has not directly communicated with me over this issue. Except when I phoned them on another matter, which is when they said the problem would be resolved by the end of October 2022.

Occasionally, usually when they want me to provide them with meter readings, they almost casually, as an aside mention that they are aware of the problem.

This is not good customer service. Silence, in this case, is not golden.

If there were any decent alternatives, I would have swapped providers by now.

Certainty !


List 10 things you know to be absolutely certain.

Here is my list of things I know to be absolutely certain.

    • Death – The one inevitable thing that none of us can avoid. The ultimate destination
    • Taxes – Only the very wealthy come close to avoiding personal taxation. The wealthy or crime-lords.
    • Utility Bills – Gas, Electric, Water, Sewage, Refuse Collection …. etc … etc. Unless you live totally off the grid you have to pay to maintain your living standards.
    • Hunger – We all have to eat. Hunger pains are our body’s way of reminding us to eat.
    • Thirst – We all need to drink to survive. Whilst we can survive quite a long time without food, we really can’t survive without water. Personally, I prefer to dilute my water with alcohol in the form of beer or wine.
    • Dust – If we do no cleaning, our homes fade away under a pile of dust. It’s in the air we breathe and settles everywhere. I read somewhere that if you leave dust alone for seven years, it doesn’t get any deeper. Good enough reason not to clean. Just don’t move the ornaments.
    • Politicians Only Lie – How can you tell when a politician is lying? His lips are moving. When has any government ever fulfilled their election promises ?
    • Old Age – Like death, old age is inevitable. Old age come with lots of baggage. Just when you have time on your hands, you don’t. Your body becomes like that old rusty bicycle in the shed. It still works but reluctantly whilst noisily complaining via creaking and squeaking and groaning.
    • Weeds Always Win – No matter how hard you try, you can never totally eradicate them. Just you pull out that bothersome bramble. But leave one single smidgen off root in the soil, and it is guaranteed to return. Grass grows out of every little crevice from seeds delivered by birds and the wind. Remember, a weed is just a plant in the wrong place.
    • Music Solves Everything – Good music makes you happy, can calm you down when you are angry. It makes you feel like dancing, alone or, better, with other people. Music can transport you to far off places without the bother of packing a suitcase or the tedious queues at airports. For example, close your eyes whilst listening to Echoes by Pink Floyd and you can be standing on a clifftop looking out over a vast landscape with nothing but the sound of the wind and the cawing of the crows.

    Scottish Power Not So SmartMeter


    A couple of years ago I submitted to the wave of advertising singing the praises of SmartMeters. I contacted our energy company and a smart meter was duly installed. One of the primary reasons for me agreeing to the smart meter installation was to mitigate the sheer mountain of stuff that I had to move whenever Scottish Power wanted a meter reading. Invariably their rep would turn up while we were eating. Our house is one of six , of this style, on this development. However, it is the only one that has its garage attached to the end of the house. The utility meters are situated on that end wall, which means that the meters are inside the garage. A big thank you to the builders for that decision.

    So meter installed and I can now read my energy usage via an app on my phone. Around December of 2021 the smart meter ceased recording my gas usage. Scottish Power continued taking my payments but started sending me messages similar to the one below …

    We’re unable to communicate with your meter at the moment. To help us provide you with an accurate bill, please read your meter and submit the reading at http://www.scottishpower.co.uk/my-account/meter-readings/authenticate?ca=81401146019 Need help to read your meter? Visit http://www.scottishpower.co.uk/read-your-meter

    Earlier this year, due to another request for a meter reading, I caved in and moved my junk to gain access to the meters. Did the electric reading no bother. However the gas meter display was blank. Obviously I was not surprised since they had not been able to take the readings since the previous December. This being August. A phone call was required.

    After being on hold for a very long time I eventually got to speak to a rep. She gave me instructions on how to wake up my meter and take the reading. Of course, I took this opportunity to raise the issue of my less than smart meter and its inability to take the gas readings.

    I asked why they, Scottish Power, knowing my meter wasn’t passing on my energy usage data, hadn’t sent someone out to fix it ???

    Then she dropped the bomb …… I wasn’t alone !!!

    Apparently, many of us who jumped on the SmartMeter bandwagon were literally in the same boat. We had the Gen 1 meters and they had a software bug. Those who had delayed getting the SmartMeter typically had the Gen 2 meter and were not experiencing issues.

    Don’t worry she said, because a fix is going to be rolled out. Everyone will be back up working by the end of October. Well, you guessed it. October came and then became a fast receding memory. No Fix.

    Nothings changed. Well actually that isn’t entirely true. My SmartMeter no longer records the electricity usage. So now, no gas readings, no electricity readings. Unless I move my junk and take a manual reading. Bloody marvellous.

    So, Scottish Power continue to inform me that my SmartMeter isn’t working, continue to request manual readings and continue to do nothing about fixing my meter.

    Biggest slap in the face is that they continue to advertise the merits of having a smart meter installed.

    And worst of all, due to the current energy crisis, I am trapped as their customer.

    No energy companies are taking on new customers.